Meredith Woo, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, is stepping down in May. Her departure does not come as a big surprise. The University got a hint last fall that Woo might wish to move on when she sought a position as Emory’s provost and was named a finalist.
In an email sent to students Monday morning announcing that she would step down when her contract expires in May, Woo was not shy about listing her achievements. She noted that under her tenure, philanthropic commitments had swelled from $24.5 million in 2009-2010 to $62 million in 2012-13. The College also launched several initiatives and research centers, such as the Institute of the Humanities and Global Cultures, the Asia Institute and the Center for Chemistry of the Universe.
One of Woo’s most significant accomplishments, however, went unmentioned. Woo assumed the deanship in 2008, at the moment when the bottom fell out of the U.S. economy. The economic plunge came at an inopportune time for colleges and universities, many of which had their investments bound up with national boom-and-bust cycles. At the University, faculty retirements loomed as a threat. The school’s leaders feared that a wave of impending retirements would leave faculty gaps it would be unable to fill.
But Woo used the downturn to the College’s advantage. By soliciting private donations — most notably, the $5 million Legacy of Distinction Fund — Woo implemented an aggressive faculty recruitment strategy that involved poaching professors from institutions adversely affected by the recession. The private money served as a buffer to support new hires until aging faculty members — who had declared their intentions to retire by a certain date — left. Then, the new hires would move onto existing faculty lines.
Woo’s recruitment tactics in a time of economic crisis are notable not primarily because of the outcomes they generated but because they point to her ability to find ingenious solutions to vexing problems. Woo took on the deanship in a time of upheaval. So will her successor. The next dean of the College must be able to keep a clear head in a turbulent environment.
Woo’s departure paves the way for one of the most significant candidate search processes to occur under University President Teresa Sullivan’s tenure. The dean of the College is tasked not only with managing the operations of Arts & Sciences. He or she is also responsible for crafting a strategic vision for the future of liberal education at the University. The University has a strong liberal arts tradition. But liberal education faces major hurdles. Liberal-arts departments, especially the humanities, seem like easy targets when a school must make budget cuts. And some critics wonder whether acquiring a liberal education is what college is for anymore. Given liberal education’s vulnerabilities, the dean of the College must be not just a skilled leader but also a fierce advocate for the kind of education Jefferson prized most.
Some of Woo’s signature initiatives are likely to flourish in her absence. Woo’s efforts in turning the College’s attention to Asia — take for example the creation of the Asia Institute and the development of partnerships with universities in Beijing and Hong Kong — can be carried on by Jeff Legro, appointed last August to be the University’s vice provost for global affairs, and Justin O’Jack, the director of the University’s China office.
In other respects, Woo’s departure leaves a power vacuum. Given the challenges facing the College and liberal education more broadly, the University must select a heavy hitter to replace Woo. At this early stage, we will refrain from commenting in detail on what kind of person the University should select. Suffice it to say that the next dean should have a sterling academic background, management experience, effective personal qualities and the ability to articulate the College’s mission — and the importance of that mission — to students, alumni and donors.
We urge the University to exercise transparency throughout the search process for Woo’s successor. The staff members in charge of the search process should create a web page that lists names and contact information for the people on the search committee. In addition, the search committee should represent both undergraduate and graduate students.
Read More
LETTER: Medical students stand in support of transgender youth
By Rachel Rezabek , Russell Hawes , Ishaan Rischie , Elianna Dunster , Kaile Maske , Zain Ahmad and Zoe Ziff | 14 hours agoAs future physicians, we cannot remain silent, especially since U.Va. Health is one of the most comprehensive gender health centers in the country.
HUYNH: The Supreme Court must support civil rights litigation in Virginia and beyond
By Viet Huynh | 19 hours agoThe Supreme Court must prioritize protecting the litigating power of the people against potentially tyrannical laws by their government.
EDITORIAL: U.Va. Health lets fear trump its mission to do no harm
By Editorial Board | YesterdayIt is high time to resist these authoritative and dangerous actions before there are no federal avenues left for resistance.
